A Dentist Story

I was just going in for my final clean up before my move to Asia; a regular check up by all means. Before I even got comfortable in my chair, my dentist says “So your sister tells me you you’re moving to Asia.”

This was the senior Dentist at the practice. He had been looking after my teeth since I was a little kid. His daughter also became a dentist and they work together now (it’s actually his practice and he’s semi-retired now). I was starting to see her and the other dentist around more often though.

So when I saw he was doing my checkup, I was a bit surprised. It was always good to see him. He was a jolly guy and always had a warm attitude towards me. We talked a little bit before I started my appointment. Everything was routine and as usual, my teeth check out A-OK.

When he walked me out, he gave me a bro hug and a pat on the back. He told me to take care of myself and wished me the best of luck. It was said in the most sincere way and I felt oddly emotional. This guy had watched me grow up from awkward kid to an adult trying to find his place in the world. There was something to be said about that relationship.

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My dad had seen the dentist twice since I’ve been gone and this past week, my dad paid his most recent visit. He told me that both times my dentist had asked about me and how I was doing.

That same emotional feeling tugged inside me again. It was really nice of him to think of me. People always wish you well before you leave, but a lot of people quickly forget about you, even friends. They don’t realize how powerful it is when they drop a message like that. I have a lot more to worry about here than I did back home and I don’t have as many resources to maintain relationships. It’s really special when people reach out to me nowadays.